Sign in Pro
Best Gym Bags Reviewed & Rated for Quality
Standout Picks
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Size
Clearly, the capacity to actually carry stuff is the most important quality that a gym bag can possess. Ultimately, the primary aspect of a gym bag is actually the thing that isn’t there: the empty space in the middle where your stuff can go. For the most part, the larger the gym bag, the better, as it’s capable of toting around more and more the bigger it gets. However, not everyone’s workout or athletics require a large amount of gear and having a big bag with a bunch of empty space is not only a waste of money and material, it can also be very bulky and cumbersome. The ideal size of a gym bag is entirely contingent on the athlete who is acquiring it. A busy professional who needs room for a pair of sneakers and a change of gym clothes to work out before work is going to have extremely different size considerations than a hockey player on his way to a game. Figure out exactly what you’re going to need to be carrying around at your most burdened and judge the size of the bag that you’re getting based off of that.
Style
If the only thing you were getting a gym bag for was to chuck all your stuff into it, then you could save a lot of money by just getting a reusable grocery bag and leaving it at that. Of course, that’s not an ideal circumstance; anyone who’s ever dumped out an entire bag and sifted through the junk trying to find their keys can tell you that. The best gym bags will have all sorts of features and functions that will allow you to better organize your stuff, keep what needs to be kept separate, and protect your gear while you’re in transit. Some bags have far more design efficiency than you really need, though, so judge your design in the same manner as your size, figuring out what it is you’ll be likely to be carrying around. For every pocket or compartment on a gym bag, identify what you’ll be keeping in there. That busy professional probably doesn’t need a tactical gear bag with storage space for firearms, but they might want a few extra compartments to keep work clothes clean and separate from gym clothes. The functional aspect of the design is all about personal lifestyle and preference.
Style & Look
The design in terms of style is probably the most subjective aspect of gym bags, but it’s still something that can be moderately easily judged. As a professor of mine once said, it might be hard to tell if something’s good, it’s very easy to tell if something’s bad. Ugly bags are just that, ugly. Some of them have functional aspects that make it worth it, but if you care about your appearance, you don’t want to be carrying around an ugly bag. An attractive one, however, is all in the eye of the beholder. You might prefer the athletic look of the Team Speed, the sleek, urban look of the Novel, or the timeless rugged workman’s style of the Legacy. We’ve done our best to collate the best-looking bags around in our list, although there are some that may disagree.
Materials
A bag is ultimately no more than the materials that it is made up of. If a bag is made with cheaper, often synthetic, materials, then it won’t hold up as well as you need it to and won’t provide you with the best value. That’s not to say synthetic materials are necessarily bad; some of the strongest materials around are synthetic. Just make sure that you know what it is you’re getting; whether your gym bag has synthetic nylon or an all-natural hemp exterior, do your homework and be sure that it’s high-quality material.
Breathability
Gym stuff smells bad. This is a fact. But it smells a whole lot worse when it’s cooped up inside a bag, all stuffed together in with moisture, allowing all kinds of bad bacteria to thrive and stink. Many of the best gym bags have a decent ventilation system, allowing enough air in and out of the bag to prevent a serious build-up of nasty smells. Try to get a bag that has decent ventilation, especially in the shoe compartment, if it has one. Keep in mind, though, working out is an inherently bad-smelling activity, and you’re not going to eliminate the smell entirely just by having a ventilated gym bag.
Value
It’s not exactly a function of the bag itself, but when speaking with any consumer, it would be remiss to ignore the cost. The price of an item is a major factor in whether a person will buy it, perhaps the most important factor. We’ve tried to avoid putting any overpriced bags on our list, and any of the more expensive bags do have reasons to be more expensive. With a wide range of prices for quality bags, you should be able to find a good one to fit your budget.
10 Best Gym Bags
1. Everest Wet Pocket
The Everest Wet Pocket Bag is not only the easy top choice for anyone who swims, is involved with any water sports, or even someone who just sweats a lot. It’s also one of the best overall gym bags on the market for anyone. It’s a stylish, well designed, and compact bag with a surprising amount of room, and a special waterproof pocket will keep your soggy stuff from your dry stuff.
The Wet Pocket
It’s in the name, so it must be one of the most important aspects. The wet pocket allows you to store anything that might be wet away from the rest of your things.
Durable Material
Many bags boast of being durable, but few back it up quite as much as the Everest Wet Pocket. It’s not only resistant to tearing, scuffing, and other types of physical damage, it’s even mildew resistant to deal with the wet materials that you keep inside it.
Cost and Value
Not only is the Everest Wet Pocket Bag the top pick for gym bags, but it’s also one of the very least expensive that you can buy. It’s pretty much impossible to beat that value.
2. Adidas Team Speed
Most team sports require a lot of equipment, both for the team at large and for each of the members on the team. If you’re on a team, you need some way to conveniently carry around all of your sports gear, along with your personal effects. The Adidas Team Speed is the perfect large bag for any member of a sports team, as the name would imply.
Spacious Interior
One of the larger bags you can get that’s still easy to carry around, the Team Speed will be able to fit all of your gear for sure, along with several more pockets along the exterior.
Customizability
Anything that can promote team unity will work to strengthen your bonds. The wide range of color choice combined with the empty space perfect for emblazoning a logo make the Team Speed perfect if you want your team to have flashy, matching bags.
Cost and Value
The Adidas Team Speed bags are roughly average in terms of gym bag prices, maybe a touch on the more expensive side, but still very manageable for you and your team members to acquire.
3. Mier Backpack Duffel
Say you don’t care too much about features. You just need a sturdy, effective bag that’s easy to carry around and isn’t too much of a hassle to store, and you don’t want to pay too much for it. Then the Mier Backpack Duffel is perfect for you. It doesn’t look a lot like most of the bags on this list: instead of a traditional duffel bag, it’s shaped cylindrically, which gives it plenty of room to fit your stuff
Backpack Mode
One of the most convenient things about the Mier Backpack Duffel is how convertible it is. You can carry it just like a regular gym bag, or, if you’re on the subway or riding a bike, you can sling it over your shoulders and wear it like a backpack.
Compartmentalized
The whole tube in the middle is one open, empty space that can fit a solid amount of gym gear, but it also has compartments on the top and bottom of the tube, for sweaty clothes or anything else that may need to be stored separately.
Cost and Value
The Mier Duffel Backpack costs less than every other entry on this list. It doesn’t provide much in terms of extra value, but for a solid, affordable bag, you can’t do much better.
4. Carhartt Legacy
Carhartt isn’t a brand usually associated with sportswear; generally, Carhartt gear is gear for work, tough, dependable, and efficient. They take that same sensibility to their Carhartt Legacy Gear Bag. Built to take whatever the world is able to dish out to it, the Carhartt is a minimalistic, sturdy, and classic-looking gear bag.
Basically Invincible
In order to be competitive at all, a gear bag needs to stand up to some wear and tear, but nothing is in the same league as the Carhartt Legacy Gear Bag in terms of durability.
Lots of Room
You will never run out of room packing your gym stuff into the Legacy Gear Bag; it’s one of the largest gym bags you can get with the most spacious main compartment.
Cost and Value
The Carhartt Legacy Gear Bag is one of the more expensive items on this list for sure, but the trade-off is, you’ll have it forever. Anyone familiar with the Boot Theory of Economics can tell you how much value there is in that.
5. Adidas Squad III
Made for anyone who wants to keep their gym gear neatly organized, the Adidas Squad III is designed for keeping various pieces of gear separate and in their proper place. Stylish and modern, the Adidas Squad III is perfect for the modern, young professional, who knows the value of organization.
Compartmentalization
The Adidas Squad III boasts a number of different compartments; not just random pockets, but sections with a purpose. A ventilated compartment on the end for shoes, mesh pockets on the exterior, more on the interior, and a special mesh pocket for your water bottle, everything has it’s place in the Squad III.
Comfortable and Adjustable Shoulder Strap
One of the more awkward aspects of gym bags is just carrying them around; with the Squad III, the shoulder strap is adjustable, making it easy to carry around.
Cost and Value
Mid-range as prices go, the Adidas Squad III will definitely provide the value you’re looking for if organization is a priority. If not, you might be able to find an equally effective bag for less.
6. UA Storm Undeniable II
With a sporty design aimed directly at efficiency, the Under Armour Storm Undeniable II is the bag for the athlete who needs to transport a lot of gear but doesn’t want to overburden themselves. Great for competitive athletes and anyone who is on a sports team.
Large Main Compartment
It’s undeniable that you could really fit just about whatever you need to inside the Storm Undeniable II. Room for clothes, gear, footballs, soccer balls, anything else that you might need to bring with you.
Waterproof Material
A good choice for traveling, the Undeniable is able to protect whatever you keep inside of it from the elements outside.
Cost and Value
One of the most expensive one's on this list, it’s really the type of thing that you want to get if you really need the capacity. If you’re going to fill the bag up, you’ll get your value out of it; if you only need to pack a change of clothes, you might want to downgrade.
7. Adidas Defender II
Some people find gym bags to be too big and bulky to deal with. Some are too small for the needs of the owner. Gym bags are a bit of a Goldilocks thing, which is why you’d expect more gym bag companies to provide different sizes. The Defender II is just that, a sturdy, reliable bag available in small, medium, and large.
Highly Durable
Gym bags are meant to be chucked into the backs of trunks and dropped onto locker room floors while carrying a bunch of heavy and abrasive stuff. The Defender II is designed with that in mind, meant to take a beating and last.
Variety
With the aforementioned three different sizes, in addition to dozens of color choices, you are guaranteed to find a gym bag that fits your needs and sensibilities.
Cost and Value
Not only is it customizable and highly functional, the Adidas Defender II is also relatively inexpensive, making it a high value target for anyone who wants a simple and reliable bag.
8. Herschel Novel Duffel
It’s ok to want to look good, no matter wherever you are. Your gym bag is an extension of your style, so if you’ve cultivated a sleek, urban look, you don’t want to ruin it by carrying around a gauche, hot pink gym bag. The Herschel Novel Duffel Bag is the ideal bag for the most stylish urbanites.
Flashy Minimalism
Simple, straightforward, but beautiful and elegant, is the prevailing style of the modern day, and the Herschel Novel Duffel Bag reflects that elegant simplicity in an eye-catching and intriguing way.
High-Quality Design
If something looks high quality but falls apart immediately, you probably bought it from a counterfeiter on the sidewalk. There’s no point in having something that looks high quality if it’s a lie. Fortunately, Herschel delivers, carefully crafting the Novel Duffel Bag of the finest materials that will stand the test of time.
Cost and Value
For obvious reasons, the Herschel Novel Duffel Bag is the most expensive bag we’ve reviewed. Whether the bag is worth it is up to you, as aesthetic is a subjective and, ultimately, personal metric.
9. 5.11 Tactical NBT Mike Duffel
Different people have different requirements for their gym bags. One specifically difficult aspect to manage is gun gear. You shouldn’t toss your gun and ammo into the middle of your gym clothes and hope nothing bad happens. That’s why there’s the 5.11 Tactical NBT Mike Duffle Bag, for those who need a way to carry gym gear and tactical gear.
Interior Organization System
On the inside, you’ll find secure, hard pockets, and straps along the walls, in order to allow you to properly stash all of your gun gear, but with a main compartment still large enough to manage your regular gym gear.
Durable Nylon Construction
If you’re using a bag to carry firearms, you better be sure that bag is sturdy, and the Tactical NBT is extremely sturdy and well-built.
Cost and Value
While the 5.11 Tactical NBT Mike Duffle Bag is one of the most expensive bags out there, the value is all in how badly you need it. If you need the ability to secure weaponry or, really, anything that needs to be secured, then you’ll get value out of it; otherwise, if you’re just putting clothes in it, you’ve overpaid.
10. Kuston Sports Gym Bag
The Kuston Sports bag comes in a variety of colors to match any situation whether you are looking for a dressier style or all out sports look. The breathable, separate shoe storage allows you to keep smelly shoes away from your other items.
Material
The Kuston is made from high quality oxford fabric that has water repellent characteristics. The metal fasteners on the straps give the bag a quality appearance. A water proof interior plastic compartment is a nice addition to keep your towel or wet clothing away from the rest of your gear.
Shoulder Strap or Hand Strap
The Kuston comes with a removable, padded shoulder strap and two hand carrying strap which gives you two carrying options. The shoulder strap can be more comfortable and frees up your hands for other items.
Cost and Value
The Kuston Bag is moderately priced with nice design lines. The water proof compartment is a nice addition as well.
